


No Floods

by thesadvoyager



Category: Daft Punk
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-25
Updated: 2014-11-29
Packaged: 2018-02-27 12:27:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2692973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesadvoyager/pseuds/thesadvoyager
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Growing up feeling lonely and isolated was not easy for Guy-Manuel. He felt like he was drowning and nobody would notice. But, things do change, whether he likes it or not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Unhealthy

**Author's Note:**

> The website bugged out and somehow deleted this whole story when I tried adding a chapter. I was really upset, but then I found out they email you a copy of any story you post on here when you delete it. So I re-posted it and continued it at chapter 6. All the comments and kudos are gone, but at least the whole story wasn't lost.

I remember just wanting to stay in bed for my summer vacation. The thought of being forced into social interactions was enough to make me sick. Yet, there I was, standing in the shower at 8 am, getting ready to go to camp. Well, it wasn't a real camp. It was just a place where parents would drop off their annoying kids during the day, so they could get some peace and quiet. See, my younger brother had some obnoxious tendencies, so my mom and dad couldn't deal with him being home constantly for two months. I got forced into going because Paul kept on complaining about "unfair" it was that he had to go, but not me. My mother was also consistent with reminding me how the amount of time I spent by myself was "unhealthy". Yeah, I was mad, but also lacked the energy to argue with her or my father. After almost sleeping through my alarm and being greeted by Paul jumping on my bed, I was not too thrilled about the day ahead.

The first day started on a warm morning in early July. The drive there was relatively short, considering the location was only about ten miles from our house. The so-called camp was actually on a kind of playground that had its regular jungle gym and swings, but also a baseball field and a pool. In the center were several picnic tables that were thankfully shaded from the hot sun. I waved good-bye to my mother, and reminded myself that I only had to get through six hours of this. Since it was the first day, that also meant I had to get through the regular awkward introductions.

Some were familiar faces from school, but the majority of the kids there I didn't know. They must have went to different schools. It didn't bother me a whole lot, but I almost envied my brother's ability of introducing himself to pretty much anyone and starting conversations without hesitation. We had only been there for maybe fifteen minutes, and he was already talking to some new kids. In school, I could barely go up the blackboard without feeling uneasy.

One of the camp counselors finally had ordered everyone to take a seat at the picnic tables for a morning snack. I think her name was Therese. Paul was considerate enough to take a seat next to me. On the other side of the table was a blond kid with freckles and another who was rather tall and thin with curly light brown hair. Both of them didn't look familiar to me. I remember Paul was already blabbing to them about how he couldn't wait to go swim, and how hot it was outside, and how he was so glad school was over. He was unbelievable.

The loud shrill of a whistle was suddenly heard, and Therese clapped her hands three times. I felt like I was in Kindergarten.

"Ok everyone. Good morning. After snack time, I will go around to each table and have each one of you introduce yourselves."

Oh god.


	2. Awkward Introductions

I never really felt like talking, but I especially didn't on that day. I just wanted to go home. Maybe listen to music or go for a walk through the neighborhood. Actually, I hated walks, but anything to stop my mother from nagging me. She was always so persistent. One thing I could always appreciate about her is that she never gave up on me no matter how stubborn I was.

There were about thirty or so kids all together. Thankfully Paul and I were seated near the back, so we would have to speak last. Hopefully, he wouldn't embarrass me too much. After what seemed like an hour, it was our table's turn. The blond kid went first.

"Hey, my name is Hector. I'm twelve. And I like to play sports and draw."

So many of these kids seemed uninteresting. But hey, I didn't have much room to talk. I was very dull in comparison. That tall kid with the curly hair went next, and actually stood up, which was a first.

"My name is Thomas, I'm also twelve. Hector and I go to the same school. And I love music and watching terrible tv shows."

So I guess some of them were more interesting than others. Now it was Paul's turn. I silently prayed he wouldn't be too crazy. As he spoke, the volume of his voice only increased.

"I'm Paul, nine years old, and I can't wait to go swimming!"

Therese could be heard chuckling, and I could only be seen rolling my eyes. Now it was my turn, and inevitably all eyes were on me, as if I already weren't uncomfortable enough.

"I'm Guy-Manuel, but you can call me Guy-Man if you want. I'm thirteen."

Therese didn't seem satisfied with that answer alone.

"Okay, Guy-Man. What are you interested in or like to do?"

I thought for a moment and couldn't come to a conclusion, so I decided to be a smart ass.

"I'm only here to watch my brother Paul, and make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble."

With that, Paul stuck his tongue out at me. Therese laughed.

"That's good enough for me."

 

* * *

 

 

Finally, everyone was given permission to go do whatever the hell we wanted. I was not about to go play sports. That was a foreign concept to me. I noticed the swing set was completely empty, and decided it was the perfect time to put it to use. For about ten minutes, I was there alone, swinging back and forth without a lot of effort. Then I noticed Thomas was walking towards my direction, and I started to panic a little. He sat on the empty swing next to mine.

"Hi."

It was kind of nice to have someone initiate a conversation with me for practically the first time ever. Always feeling like an outsider was draining and not too great for the small amount of self-esteem I had. I decided to suck it up and see where the conversation would take me.

"Hey."

He flashed a smile at me, like he was surprised I said something back at all.

"That was pretty funny what you said back there before. About your brother."

"I wasn't making it up. I'm only here because my parents wouldn't trust him on his own. I didn't want to go."

"Well, having a brother must be fun sometimes, right? I'm an only child so I don't know what it's like."

I shrugged and continued to slowly swing.

"It has its ups and downs. Paul is one of those extra annoying little brothers, so I have it twice as bad."

Thomas laughed liked I told him the funniest joke in the world. He always had his mouth opened too, even when he wasn't talking. I have this habit of noticing the minor details about people, since I spent so much time observing everything instead of actually taking part in it. A moment of silence went by until he spoke again.

"So, Guy-Manuel. I guess your parents went all stereotypically French when they named you."

"Heh, yeah, I guess so. That is why I prefer Guy-Man."

"Ok, sounds good _Guy-Man_."

He really stressed his accent on my name. I wasn't sure if he was making fun of me or just fooling around. Thomas then got out of the seat of the swing and dusted off his clothes.

"Maybe we could hang out during the day when we are here. Make the day go by quicker for you. I can tell you aren't very into the "campy" atmosphere."

I looked up at him in anticipation and confusion.

"But I thought you were friends with Hector? I thought you would want to hang out with him."

He shook his head with a smile.

"No, I only sat next to him because we go to the same school and our parents are friends with each other. He is the only person I am really familiar with here."

I really could have used someone to talk to while I was trapped there all day.

"Okay."


	3. Insignificant

That evening at dinner, I wasn't very hungry for the first time in my life. Mostly just tired from the day, and a bit excited too. I felt so stupid. My mother served our meal, which happened to be pasta that night.

"Paul, would you like to say grace tonight?"

Paul clasped his hands together and closed his eyes, fabricating concentration.

"Dear God, thank you for this dinner we are about to have. I hope it is delicious. Also, if you could try a little harder with not disappointing me, I would be so grateful. Amen."

My mother looked so confused, and my father just had an expression of amusement.

"That was beautiful, son."

I swore I was going to go blind soon from the sheer amount of times I had rolled my eyes that day.

"He is just upset that he didn't get to go swimming today. The pool won't be ready for another week or so."

Paul stuck his tongue out at me again.

"Ok, well, everyone dig in.", my mother announced.

My brother slurped his fettuccine loudly, while I only took a few bites and mostly absentmindedly twirled my fork around it.

"Are you ok honey? You aren't really eating much." my mother asked with a look of genuine concern.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just not very hungry."

Paul paused his slurping with wide eyes.

"You? Not hungry? Something must be seriously wrong."

If we weren't at the dinner table, I would have whacked him in the back of his head.

"May I be excused?"

"Sure." said my father, as he was getting up to clear his plate.

I stood up and pushed my chair in, and quickly went up the stairs to my room. I closed my door, and then laid on my bed, staring up at my white ceiling. It was blank, besides a few glow-in-the-dark stars I had stuck up there a few years prior. Outer space was something that had always fascinated me, even from a young age. In grammar school, I would go to the library during recess sometimes, and look at the huge space atlas. It contained very vibrant pictures of stars and planets. It was around this time that the kids in my class began to call me weird. It bothered me, but if I was weird for feeling so insignificant in comparison to the universe, so be it.

My eyelids felt heavy, and before I knew it, I was captured into a nap.

 

* * *

 

 

About an hour or so later, I woke to a light knocking on my bedroom door.

"Can I come in?"

It was my mother's voice on the other side.

"Sure, come in." I said as I rubbed my eyes.

"I'm sorry, were you asleep?"

"Yeah, but I didn't mean to."

"It is ok, Guy-Manuel. You probably had a long day."

I smirked.

"With Paul, every day is a long day."

She smiled, and took a seat at the edge of my bed.

"You know, your father and I really appreciate you going with Paul. And we want you to go because we love you, not to punish you."

"I know."

"We don't like to see you alone all the time."

"I know."

I was still so tired, but I had a question in the back of my mind.

"Mom, you don't think I'm weird, right?"

She looked almost offended.

"Of course not, why would you ask me such a thing?"

I fiddled with my bed sheet, avoiding looking her in the face.

"I don't know. It's just that I've always felt different from everyone else. I can't explain it."

"That is part of growing up. But I believe you will find your way out of this slump. You just have to open up a little bit more. I believe in you. And I will always love you, no matter who you become."

I rested a bit easier that night. There was no camp during the weekend, so I had two days to prepare myself again.


	4. A Moment Of Truth

That Monday morning, I found myself not dreading getting out of bed as much as usual. The sun slowly came in through the window, giving life to my dark bedroom. I felt at peace, until Paul busted through the door, greeting me with a bounce on my mattress.

"Get up Guy-Man! Maybe they finished the pool early!"

I flung the covers off myself, and did a quick stretch before standing up.

"I hate to rain on your parade, but I doubt it."

He stuck his tongue out at me again. It was becoming routine.

"I'm still wearing my swim trunks underneath, just in case."

With that, he dashed out of my room.

In the bathroom, while brushing my teeth, my mind was in a frenzy of questions. I wondered what Thomas and I would talk about or do. Would I even have anything to say? I felt really dumb. Other people didn't over-think everything so much, even potential friendships. Why couldn't I just go with the flow for once in my life? I took a breath and decided that I was going to act as confident as I could, even if I was crumbling on the inside. Looking in the mirror, I had a moment of truth. I was going to happy, even if it was only for a day. I examined myself, observing my hair. It was getting long, past my shoulders. Even so, I had no desire to cut it. In a weird way, I felt protected by it, like I could hide from the world anytime I wanted. It probably was an addition to the list of reasons why the other kids at school didn't talk to me and found me weird, but I tried to not let it get to me. Besides, what really counts is what's on the inside. I quickly brushed my hair, getting rid of any tangles. It was time to go.

 

* * *

 

 

The days at the camp started early, so they were considerate enough to serve a light breakfast each morning. I grabbed a muffin, which I assumed was chocolate chip, and a small carton of orange juice. I looked over to the picnic tables, and it had appeared that Thomas had arrived earlier than Paul and I. Feeling a bit uneasy, I took a seat next to him.Â He turned his head in my direction, with an enthusiastic expression.Â 

"Hey!"

"Hi."

"What's up?"

"Being awake way too early for a summer day. If I wasn't here, I'd be sleeping until at least noon."

Thomas did that same laugh.

"Well, I'm glad you decided to join us. Even if it was against your will."

I yawned, still so very tired.

"Hey, you had a whole weekend to sleep."

"Well, with Paul running all over the house, it is hard to get rest."

Almost on queue, Paul came over to the table and took a seat next to me, looking grumpy.

"Let me guess...no pool?"

And again with the tongue.

"Yeah, they said the pool would probably not be ready until Friday." said Thomas.

Paul slammed a fist on the table.

"This place is a rip-off!"

He then got up, and ran off to who knows what.

"He's pretty funny." Thomas said as he took a bite from his apple.

"Yeah, he sure is something else."

"The funniest part is that you both are related. You aren't similar at all."

Now it was my turn to laugh a little.

"You got that right. He is a bundle of endless energy, while just the thought of getting out of bed makes me tired."

"Well, we're gonna have to change that if you are going to survive the rest of the summer. We should plan to go swimming on Friday!"

"Oh, I don't know..."

"Why not? It will be fun, I promise."

I was nervous again. I was not the most confident with my body. I only had a bit of muscle, and some flabby parts. I knew that I would feel like everyone would be looking at me. There would be girls there too. But I didn't want to disappoint Thomas already. And I thought back to the morning, when I was looking in the bathroom mirror.

"O-Okay. I guess it would be fun."

"Alright, sounds good. It _will_ be fun. And just imagine how happy your brother will be!" he said with a teasing smile.

"Of course, can't disappoint Paul."


	5. Breaking The Rules

Normally I'd still be passed out, but on this particular morning I was sitting on the edge of my bed, pulling on my jeans and shirt over my swim trunks by 8 am. I was somewhat excited, and not just because it was so hot that early in the day. When Paul swung my door open, he was surprised to see me up and ready. He did not get the opportunity to jump on my bed and pester me until I woke up. That was how Paul liked to start his days that summer. But I did not let him have the satisfaction.

"So, you finally learned how to wake up on your own." Paul declared as he leaned against my wooden door frame.

"I guess so. But it didn't help that I was so uncomfortable and sweaty all night. I didn't sleep well."

"Well, good thing today is Friday!"

Paul ran out of the room, and I heard his bedroom door slam. I had my clothes on, hair neat, and teeth brushed. He was still in pajamas. Some things do change, I suppose.

 

* * *

 

 

The sun was brutal by 10. My pale skin would most definitely burn under those conditions. But at the time, I was only concerned with getting cool, despite knowing I would feel self-conscious. When Paul and I got there, the first thing we noticed was how miserable Therese looked. Then, I noticed Thomas lounging on one of the chairs that circled the pool. He always got there early. And apparently, the gate had already been opened to the pool entrance.

"It's your lucky day Paul." said Therese. "The pool is going to be opened early since it is so unbearably hot and humid out here."

"Yes!" exclaimed Paul, practically gravitating off the pavement.

"Thank God." I said, mostly to myself.

I walked through the gate, sitting in the reclining chair that was next to Thomas. He was sitting peacefully in his chair, basking in the sun, looking almost asleep. All of the other kids were waiting around the pool's perimeter, presumably waiting for permission to enter the cool water.

"Hey Guy-Man." I jumped. He hadn't even opened his eyes.

"I thought you were sleeping."

"No, I was just trying to get comfortable. But it's difficult since it's about a thousand degrees out here."

"Tell me about it."

Thomas sat up in the chair, looking a bit more enthusiastic.

"Cheer up, in just a few minutes it won't be so bad."

The shrill of Therese's whistle filled the air, capturing everyone's attention.

"Before everyone goes in, I have a few simple rules to go over. First, no running around the edge of the pool. Two, no diving. Jumping is fine. Three, no roughhousing. That includes splashing. Basically, keep your hands to yourself. If everyone can follow these simple rules, today will go smoothly."

Unsurprisingly, Paul was already undressed and in the water before Therese was even finished.

"God damn it Paul." I muttered under my breath.

"Therese, I apologize about my brother's behavior. I'm sure you noticed how...excited he gets."

She smiled gently and nodded in agreement.

"Have fun everyone!" she said, before returning to her chair.

The rest of the kids rushed into the water with splashes and jumps. Paul looked very happy with himself, lazily floating near the pool's deeper end. Shedding my clothes, I felt the mild embarrassment I had slowly melt away as I noticed Thomas was doing the same. He had a slim figure, no reason to be ashamed or to hide. While I did not. However, it felt better because I was not alone. It was hard to imagine Thomas being anything other than cheerful anyhow. He radiated peace and warmth like the sun. Speaking of the sun, it was still so hot that I sucked it up and finally was fully undressed. I had my gold swim trunks on. I shyly glanced over and noticed Thomas was wearing silvery and obnoxiously shiny trunks. Teetering over the edge of the pool, he tested the temperature of the water. It must have been satisfactory, because he immediately took the plunge. As he breached the surface, he made a sigh of relief and flipped his watered down curls out of his face.

"Come on in Guy-Man. I promise you'll feel so much better."

He looked up at me in anticipation. Before, I had felt nervous because I expected that everyone would be looking at me. But then I realized that in reality, the other kids were too concerned with themselves and their other friends to even acknowledge me or my fears. Thomas was the only one there who cared enough. And it felt kind of nice.

I jumped. And felt so much better.

It had been a long time since I had swam, at least a few summers before. In contrast, Thomas moved quickly in the water like he had spent a good amount of time in there.

"I would ask you to race, but I'd probably beat you."

"Yeah, probably." I admitted. "I don't swim much."

Paul then paddled over with more grace than I expected of him.

"Geez Guy-Man, took you long enough to get in here."

I gave him a disapproving look.

"Well, at least I listened to the rules and didn't just dive in like someone."

"I don't do rules." He said as he crossed his arms.

"Whatever."

He then paddled away. Suddenly, my head formed a stupid idea.

"Hey Thomas?"

"Yeah?"

"How about that race."

He looked surprised that I suggested such a thing, and then simply shrugged his scrawny shoulders.

"Y-yeah, ok. But I won't go easy on ya. From this end to the deep end."

"Right."

I took a deep breath and positioned myself. Thomas looked over at me with a sly grin. I wasn't too worked up over it. It's not like I actually expected myself to win.

"When I say go." He said.

I nodded, and waited for his call.

"Go!"

I never put so much effort and concentration into my own body than at that moment. I was doing better than expected, but Thomas was still moving at an amazing speed.

He waited for me at the deep end and almost looked impressed. And I noticed that he appeared to be standing while I could not touch the bottom anymore.

"You did good. Don't feel bad, I've been swimming for a while." He said with a smile.

"Maybe I could have done better if my legs were also a mile long." I noted as I flipped my hair out my eyes.

With that, Thomas playfully splashed me. My hair was back over my face again. I laughed and splashed a wall of water back at him. It went back and forth and became increasingly aggressive. We apparently forgot about the rules because we suddenly heard that damn whistle again. Thomas and I froze and looked up to see Therese with an unamused expression on her face.

"Thomas, Guy-Man, out of the water now!"

Now everybody was staring.

With a sigh, Thomas and I climbed out of the pool, grabbed our clothes and towels, and walked over the picnic tables for our "time out". We sat down with a huff.

Thomas looked at me apologetically.

"I-I'm sorry that we got in trouble, Guy-Man."

Normally I would have been more upset. I never liked getting into trouble. But on that day, I felt myself not caring. Like at all. Maybe it was ok to be bad sometimes.

"It's fine Thomas. Really."

"Well, you still had fun, didn't you?" he asked softly.

I crossed my arms and placed my chin on the wooden table.

"Yeah."

 

* * *

 

 

When everyone sat down for dinner that night, I was so tired I almost didn't want to eat.

My mother and father sat down in their chairs, said grace, and cut my brother and I a piece of the souffle she had carefully prepared.

"So, how was today?" my father asked.

"Guy-Man got in trouble." Paul said with no hesitation, not even looking up from his plate.

"What the hell Paul."

"What? You did." he said defensively.

My mother looked worried.

"What happened, Guy-Manuel?"

I slumped in my seat.

"It was nothing. Me and this other kid were splashing in the pool, and that was against the rules I guess."

"Who was the other kid?"

"His name is Thomas." Paul cut in. "He has a funny last name, Bangalter I think? Guy-Man and him have been hanging out since camp started."

My father paused from sipping out of his wine glass.

"Bangalter? I know that name. His father must be the one who owns that new record company I heard about at work."

I looked up at him curiously. Thomas never mentioned anything about that.

"Anyways, I'm glad you are making new friends. But be more careful, alright?" my mother asked of me.

"Alright." I assured her as I played with the souffle on my plate.

I had no real interest in being more careful.

 

 


	6. The Greatest Thing You'll Ever Learn

Over time, I felt as if my life was finally beginning to make sense. Days seemed to go by in minutes. I wasn't as afraid to speak up. Most importantly, I knew that I had a real friend. Somebody who I could get in stupid trouble with, and talk about anything. Even if we were opposite kinds of people, it was as if he was that extra piece of myself that I had been searching for. As over dramatic and sappy as it is, I was happy. I didn't feel so alone.

Summer was beginning to whine down. Hot and humid days settled into rainy and thundering nights. All of the kids went from fooling around care-free, to realizing it was almost time for school once again. One minute it was July, and the next it was the last week of August. Life's inevitable desire to change was at it again in full fight.

It was the last Monday of that month when I found out. Thomas and I took a walk around the empty baseball field, carelessly kicking the dirt and rocks with our worn sneakers. He seemed a little more down than usual, almost avoiding eye contact, and being relatively quiet. We had been getting along so well, and I hoped he wasn't feeling bad because of something I had done.

 

"Hey Thomas."

"Yeah?"

"Umm, is there something wrong? You seem a little bit out of sorts."

He took a deep breath, only looking at the ground.

"I'm just mad. I talked to my father last night. I guess my parents were thinking about moving for a while. And now we are definitely moving."

"Oh." I responded, failing at my attempt to not sound disappointed.

"I'm not happy about it either, Guy-Man."

 

We took a seat in the grass underneath the giant shaded tree. Thomas leaned his back against its trunk, staring off into the distance at seemingly nothing. He looked tired.

"Where are you guys going to go?"

Thomas mindlessly fiddled with a few blades of grass, pulling them up from the earth.

"I'm not sure. But what I do know is that we aren't moving to just down the street. It's more like the other side of France."

"Do they have a reason why?" I asked him, wanting an explanation.

"I don't really like talking about my family. I never did. But my dad recently set up a new record company, and we would need to move for it to take off how he wants it to. He is so excited about it and I wouldn't want to ruin his dreams. But I don't want to go anywhere. I'm satisfied with my school, my house, my neighborhood, and the one friend I have."

“Wait, the one friend you have?” I questioned.

“Yeah. I’ve never had any friends really. The other kids don’t bother with me much. I guess it’s because I raise my hand in class a lot and always do my work.”

“That’s a dumb reason to avoid someone. I avoid people because of my own stupid insecurities and because it’s a lot of work. But I think it’s good that you are smart. Eventually you will find your way and find a better place than sitting here with me or with a bunch of people who don’t care.”

 

I’m not sure where that little speech came from inside of me, but I surprised myself. And the fact that he considered me a friend was still new and took getting used to. Thomas just stared, and repeatedly opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what to say next.

“I like sitting here with you. You are calm, easy to talk to, a good listener. I don’t want this summer to be over.”

“Me either. I expected it to be two long months of pain with my brother. But it wasn’t like that at all. I, uh, had a good time.”

His eyes lightened up like he had an idea.

“Hey Guy, would you like to come over my house this weekend?”

I convincingly and unwavering agreed.

 

* * *

 

 

It was going to be an exciting weekend. I forced all insecurity out of my head and convinced myself that I was welcome and important. My mother was excited to find out I was actually invited somewhere. She was going to be disappointed to find that this wasn’t going to be everlasting. I was sad that Thomas was not staying in town. But it wasn’t in vain. His father was going to make them even richer than they probably already were. It was my dream to be in the music business. Life wouldn’t hand someone an opportunity like that for no reason.

My father drove me across town that Saturday evening. This would be my first sleepover. He probably had a bedroom full of cool stuff. Instruments, movies, books. Thomas had a look of being well educated and classy. We pulled up to a fairly large green two story house with white shutters, and a long cobblestone driveway lined with flowers. As I got out of the front seat, my father waved goodbye.

“Have a good time. I will be back in the morning to get you.”

I watched him pull out of the driveway and drive off. Then, I nervously approached the front door and rang the gold doorbell. A cheerful chime could be heard echoing from inside the house. Moments later, the door opened, and a tall man with curly hair came out. He very much resembled Thomas.

 

“Hi. Uh, I’m Guy-Man. Is Thomas there?”

“Guy-Man! Yes, yes. Thomas is waiting for you upstairs. I’m his father.”

He put out his hand and gave me a firm handshake.

“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. Dinner will be in about an hour. And his room is down the hall to the right.”

“Thank you very much.”

 

I briskly went up the stairs and wandered down the hallway. There were many paintings on the walls and nice light fixtures. I approached the door and lightly knocked twice. Thomas swung the door open.

“Guy-Man, you made it. Come in.”

I noticed the hardwood floor, the vinyl collection on the shelf, and a Star Wars poster hanging on the door. It was almost exactly what I expected.

“I like your room.”

“Thanks. It’s too bad I have to start packing it away tomorrow. I’m going to miss it.”

“Do you need help?” He shook his head.

“No. I think it would just make this transition more difficult.”

He sadly plopped face down on his bed.

“I’m sorry to ruin the night.” He apologized, voice muffled behind a pillow.

“You didn’t ruin anything. The night just started.”

“Right. Hey, do you wanna listen to this cool record my dad gave me?”

Before I could even answer, Thomas was off the bed and rummaging through his closet. He finally pulled out a small green portable turn-table from the top shelf. He sat on the floor and placed it in front of him. Carefully, he put the vinyl on the record player and moved the needle onto the appropriate line. I heard a few popping noises, and then the music started.

 

_♫ Hand in glove_

_The sun shines out of our behinds_

_No it's not like any other love this one's different because it's us!_

 

_Hand in glove_

_We can go wherever we please_

_and everything depends upon how near you stand to me_

 

_And if the people stare then, the people stare_

_Oh I really don't know and I really don't care! ♫  
_

 

 

“Thomas, what is this?”

“It’s uh, The Smiths.” He said, showing me the album cover.

“You like The Smiths?” I asked with a raised brow.

“Well yeah. You don’t?”

“It’s not that. I’m just surprised you like something so…miserable sounding.”

“We can’t be happy all the time, Guy-Man.”

He laughed at me, and stood up to grab another record from the shelf.

 

“Maybe you’ll like this one better.”

I recognized the song instantly and started to laugh.

“Thomas, I love The Beach Boys.”

“Me too! It’s so cheesy, but in a good way. I really like it. Makes me want to go surfing.”

“Exactly. If I only knew how.”

We listened to the whole album, praising each track. I didn’t think I would ever meet someone who liked them as much as I do.

 

“I have one more song before we go down for dinner.” He told me while switching the records.

The vinyl crackled, and a slow melody with violins and flutes emerged from the speakers. The singer had a low voice I didn’t recognize.

 

_♫ There was a boy_

_A very strange, enchanted boy_

_They say he wandered very far_

_Very far, over land and sea_

_A little shy and sad of eye_

_But very wise was he ♫  
_

 

It sounded pretty good for an ancient record. I took in the nice instruments and lyrics. Thomas seemed entranced by it. He rested his head in his hands, closing his eyes, and listened.

 

_♫ The greatest thing you'll ever learn,_

_Is just to love and be loved in return ♫  
_

 


End file.
